Abdominal belt.



E. NICKUM.

ABDOMINAL BELT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1907.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

atbmnu ANDiEW E mama co. FHOTO-LITHOGRAFMERS. msumcwn. ay 0 EMMA NICKUM, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ABDOMINAL BELT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. '7, 1909.

Application filed June 15, 1907. Serial No. 379,243.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMA NIoKUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Abdominal Belts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in abdominal belts or supporters, and its object is to provide one which will not slip upwardly and out of its proper position upon the wearer.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and the combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the device showing the same in use; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device looking toward its rear side; Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of l the leg cuffs; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the truss pad.

In the drawing, 1 denotes the body por tion of the abdominal belt or supporter, which is constructed of elastic webbing, such as woven silk and rubber or cotton and rubber, and it is elastic or yielding in one direction, namely the direction of the length of the belt. The latter is broadest at its center where there is formed upon its bottom edge a depending portion or extension 2. The tapering ends 3 of the belt may be adjustably connected in any suitable manner but I preferably unite them by a lacing 4 passed through eyelets 5 formed in end pieces 6 of fabric or the like suitably attached to the elastic webbing. If desired suitable reinforcing stays 7 may be incorporated in the end pieces 6; and for the purpose of protecting the back of the wearer, I preferably employ a shield 8 which is-attached to one of the end pieces and is adapted to extend un der the lacing and across to the other end piece, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

For the purpose of preventing the belt from slipping upwardly and to effectively hold the same in its proper position upon the wearer, I provide two leg cuffs 9 and suitable connections 10, 11 between them and the belt. These cuffs are adapted to be worn just below the knees and are in the form of tubular bodies of fabrics. They are of such.

size that they may be readily put on and taken off; and they are held in position by elastic bands 12 attached to their bottom edges. These bands have their ends detachably connected by hooks 13 and eyes 14 or by any other suitable fastenings. The connections 10, 11 are arranged in pairs, one pair being connected to each cuff and they may be bands or strips of soft leather, cotton tape, elastic webbing or the like. I preferably, however, make the outer ones of elastic and attach their upper ends to depending tabs 15 secured to the lower side portions of the belt. The lower ends of the connections 10 are detachably fastened to the upper portions of the ends, preferably, by providing them with hooks 16 to engage eyes 17 upon the cufis. The inner connec tions 11 are also preferably made of elastic and have their upper ends attached to tabs 18 formed by the depending lower ends of reinforcing fabric strips 19 secured upon the front face of the belt and extending from its top edge downwardly and inwardly in converging relation to the bottom edge of the depending extension 2. The lower ends of the connections 11 are provided with hooks 20 to detachably engage eyes 21 upon the cuffs, but any other suitably detachable fastenings may be provided between said parts.

From the foregoing it will be seen, that when the cuffs 9 are adjusted upon the legs below the knees and attached by the clastic connections 10, 11 to the belt, the latter will be effectively prevented from slipping upwardly and shifting laterally, and will be held in its proper position to accomplish its intended purpose. The elastic connections permit of free movement of the body and prevent the belt from being pulled downwardly out of place when the body is bent rearwardly. The provision of the detachable fastenings permits the device to be readily applied and removed.

If desired I may use my improved belt as a supporter for a truss pad 22, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. This truss is preferably of hard rubber and has a surrounding smoothedged flange 23 which is apertured so that the truss may be readily sewed in its proper position upon the belt.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A supporter of the character described strips secured at opposite sides of the center of the front of the band and extension and having their lower ends projecting below said extension in the form of a pair of inner s tabs, depending outer tabs upon the band on opposite sides of said strips, a pair of cuffs of flexible material adapted to encircle the legs below the knees, each of said cuffs being provided at its lower edge with an elastic band having its ends adjustably connected and adjacent its upper edge with inner and outer fastening members arranged at opposite sides of the vertical. center there of,- a pair of inner elastic supporting straps secured at their upper ends to the inner tabs and provided at their lower ends with fas= tening members to detachably engage the inner fastening members of the cuffs, and a pair of outer elastic supporting straps secured at their upper ends to the outer tabs and provided at their lower ends with fastening members to det-achably engage the outer fastening members of the cufi's.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. EMMA NICKUM. Witnesses:

FRANK G. GRinR, EDITH M. JOHNSON. 

